UPFRONTBEATS

Panama’s K.E.E.N.E. are next up on connected, and return in fine form after previously releasing the Lust EP in February 2017 to great acclaim. Joint label heads Stereo MCs turn in a brilliant remix on this one to make it another standout release.

K.E.E.N.E. have their own label Cacao, and have been busy laying down cultured grooves on it, as well as playing round the world, for the last year. They take inspiration from Panamanian folklore, and the EP title here’in Portobelo’s Congo dialect’means ‘dancing to the beat of life’. The Congo Dance of Panama is the most unique and colourful manifestation of folklore in the province of Colon and has its roots in Africa. The dance tells a story, as the characters act out a fight with the devil, who is said to be loose during the Carnival. All this inspires this latest EP and helps make it truly unique.

First up is the fantastically expressive ‘Goroboteando’ a driving Afro-Panamanian carnival percussive beat and chant with dusty piano stabs. It’s a rattling groove with bass synth surges that rise in intensity until the piano breakdown oozes tragedy and invokes a truly spiritual feeling with relentless fire. The equally innovative ‘Chartlot’ is a wind down from the opener with driving toms and eerie synth sequences. Sucking you into its groove, drones and a spoken word voice provide guidance and lead you away from reality. Stereo MCs then step up to remix ‘Goroboteando’ into a stripped back electronic interpretation with a rising synth/drum and percussive groove with a big arpeggio break down.

These are fantastically fresh and unusual tracks that will bring something new and impactful to any dance floor.

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